PETROL prices are at “crisis point”, with one garage forced to charges as much as 129p a litre.

A Denbighshire haulage boss said action was needed to save the industry and a farming leader warned the cost of petrol and diesel was having a major impact on rural communities.

The warning came as average UK petrol prices hit an all time high of 120p a litre.

One Denbighshire garage forced to charge 129p a litre as the cost of his fuel supplies rose rapidly. At that price it would cost a Ford Focus owner £70.95 to fill their 55 litre tank.

Paul Blackwell, owner of Parc Service Station, Glyndyfrdwy, near Corwen, said something had to be done as he struggles to make a living.

He said: “The price has gone up 4p in the last week and we have to pass the rise on, or we might as well give up.

“People are commenting about how expensive the price of fuel is in the shop but we do have loyal customers who know it is not our fault.

“You don’t get many tourists stopping though when they see the price.

“It makes it a real struggle but neither of the two main parties in the election seem to want to do anything about it.”

The previous peak in petrol prices was in July 2008 when it hit 119p a litre, motoring organisation the RAC revealed.

But this has now been eclipsed due to the weak price of the pound, an increase in the wholesale price of fuel and tax rises of 10p since December 2008.

The new record comes just days after the Government raised fuel duty by 1p a litre. A further 1p rise is due in the autumn, with a 0.76p increase planned for next January.

Farmers’ Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan said: “The very high price of petrol and diesel hits rural communities very hard, it makes it very expensive to live in the countryside.

“Everything is hauled by lorry so any price increase has a major impact, not just on farmers but also on the countryside as a whole, shops have to put prices up.

“People have to have a car in the countryside as well, public transport is not an option. Something must be done on fuel tax.”

Ruthin haulage operator LE Jones said it was close to crisis point in the industry. Operations manager David Hughes said: “The impact of these rises are colossal, we can’t absorb it all.

“We are close to crisis point now and we need Government action sooner rather than later. It could be too late for many.” Mike Learmond, North Wales regional organiser for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “These high fuel prices hit affect a lot more than just hauliers, taxi drivers and transport-related firms, they affect all businesses.”